What Cigar-Related content do you read?

[HoyoFan]

I'm curious, besides FOH, where do you guys go on a consistent basis for cigar-related content?

I know we can all agree that Cigar Aficionado is mostly driven by advertising dollars and pretty much all other printed cigar publications have gone out of business.

One of the things that I really love about cigars isn't just smoking them, but I love the culture, I love the fact that its a hand-made art, still, to this day, all manual. Especially at a time when so much is mass produced. But at the same time, I don't really see a lot of places to go visit when I'm lounging around on a Sunday afternoon to just enjoy reading about the world of cigars.

I'd love a place to read about the latest story or a profile on a cigar family I know nothing about, or get some articles on fermentation. Working in the digital design space, a part of me has even been thinking about starting something like this on my own.

[kalibratecuba]

I'm curious, besides FOH, where do you guys go on a consistent basis for cigar-related content?
I know we can all agree that Cigar Aficionado is mostly driven by advertising dollars and pretty much all other printed cigar publications have gone out of business.
One of the things that I really love about cigars isn't just smoking them, but I love the culture, I love the fact that its a hand-made art, still, to this day, all manual. Especially at a time when so much is mass produced. But at the same time, I don't really see a lot of places to go visit when I'm lounging around on a Sunday afternoon to just enjoy reading about the world of cigars.
I'd love a place to read about the latest story or a profile on a cigar family I know nothing about, or get some articles on fermentation. Working in the digital design space, a part of me has even been thinking about starting something like this on my own.

I feel Halfwheel and Cigar Journal do a good job of covering the industry.

Cigardojo, when I need to see what other brothers are smoking and drinking.

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[Colt45]

51 minutes ago, HoyoFan said:

I'd love a place to read about the latest story or a profile on a cigar family I know nothing about, or get some articles on fermentation.

Many people crap on CA (or at least their ratings), but these are exactly the kind of articles one can find in their magazine.

[gweilgi]

The Cigar Journal would fit your brief perfectly.  I subscribe to it myself....

Other than that, there are a variety of forums on the interweb for social interaction and cigar-related chat.

Very generally speaking, what I miss is media outlets for any sort of non-mainstream craft products.  I am interested in small producers and manufacturers, not really the offerings of the big multinationals.  I want to read about the guy who makes knives the old-fashioned way, the small independent watch manufacturers, the tiny niche carmakers (when was the last time you read about Morgan in a mainstream car mag?), the family firm crafting leather goods using centuries-old techniques, the boutique winemaker doing really interesting things with native Georgian grapes, and so on.  The normal media offerings are all far too keen on shifting the latest mass-market aspirational luxury product by the big firms....

[TNT009]

Cigar Snob.. Nice looking ladies, good cigar articles and better drink reads than CA!

[benfica_77]

Half-wheel is ok but could be better. Reddit r/cigars went down the crapper, Cigar Afficionado is bias as it gets. I know stick to just FOH and the ocassional KenFession article

[Doctorossi]

14 hours ago, kalibratecuba said:

I feel Halfwheel and Cigar Journal do a good job of covering the industry.

Bingo.

[BrightonCorgi]

I just follow this and one other cigar forum.  If they link something I will read that.  Halfwheel is a good site as well. 

[Cigar Surgeon]

Halfwheel, CA, Cigar-Coop, Developing Palates, Cigar Journal, I hang out on the Cigar Federation chat most days.

[Islandboy]

+1 for Cigar Journal.

[Puros Y Vino]

1. FOH (totally unbiased on my part.   But seriously. Truly the best CC forum out there IMO.  Tons of members from all ages with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I continue to learn a lot).
2. Cigar Journal (slowly turning into Euro version of CA, but still damn good. My favourite in print cigar magazine.
3. Cigar Aficionado (despite not being 100% cigar focused, I respect that they carry the flag for the hobby in a big way)
4. Halfwheel (great content and format. Very informative. Too NC heavy for my tastes, but the CC coverage is very good)

Dishonorable mentions:

/r/cigars (reddit) The inmates took over. But for those still there, it delivers on specific purposes. Facebook or Instagram (any social media stuff IMO is 50% flipping 49% braggadoccio 1% informative.  There are some good FB groups I participate in though. 

 

[teewinot]

Well lately I've been reading FOH.  Being new, I've read through the last 114 pages so far.....

[Blazer]

I set-up a daily google alert for cigars and each day at lunch I got list of cigar article links. I would say 85% of the articles link back to Halfwheel, but there is a smattering of press releases, cigar deals & cigar info. 

[CigarmanTim]

20 hours ago, TNT009 said:

Cigar Snob.. Nice looking ladies, good cigar articles and better drink reads than CA!

Cigar snob. Great looking ladies.

[Guest Nekhyludov]

I'm surprised to see so much enthusiasm for Cigar Snob here, considering their "we don't review Cuban cigars because the Castros are *ssholes" policy.

[HoyoFan]

Interesting thanks guys!

Do you think there’s room/opportunity for something new? Just curious. What would you like to see?

[Guest Nekhyludov]

We'll gentlemen, another one has bitten the dust. 

The frog March to underground criminality for cigar smokers continues apace.

 

[Wertman]

You know @shaffer22 had started a website reviewing cigars it was awesome 

[HoyoFan]

It just seems to me like there’s room for a site with high-end photography and video of the culture that isn’t influenced by being sold to. And at the same time can provide great reviews and industry news. I know a lot of you guys are recommending halfwheel but I feel like they skew a bit more into the industry and the product nuance and less so the culture and the people who bring us this awesome hobby.

[alloy]

Most of my time is FOH time. However, I do look at HavanaJack's, Halfwheel, Cigar Inspector, Puff, OLH and CCW.

[Doctorossi]

13 hours ago, HoyoFan said:

It just seems to me like there’s room for a site with high-end photography and video of the culture that isn’t influenced by being sold to.

Without "being sold to", what business model do you envision? What's going to pay for the reviews and industry news?

[Guest Nekhyludov]

2 hours ago, Doctorossi said:

Without "being sold to", what business model do you envision? What's going to pay for the reviews and industry news?

I was wondering the same thing. High-end photography and video isn't cheap to produce. 

Maybe a subscription model? A monthly fee for access? I don't really think I'd be willing to pay for that, but I wonder if others would.

[HoyoFan]

All good points. My thought would be that you can have advertising on the site. But the content itself isn't influenced by the advertiser. They can run their ads along the right-hand side.

[cigcars]

On 3/11/2018 at 11:09 PM, TNT009 said:

Cigar Snob.. Nice looking ladies, good cigar articles and better drink reads than CA!

     *Cigar Snob doesn't profile any Cuban cigars whatsoever; so I have no use for this publication

[Cigar Surgeon]

18 hours ago, HoyoFan said:

All good points. My thought would be that you can have advertising on the site. But the content itself isn't influenced by the advertiser. They can run their ads along the right-hand side.

I like to bag on Charlie as much as the next guy, they have shit all over sponsor cigars many time in the past. Of all the sites out there, they are definitely the least likely to be influenced by advertising dollars.